Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"

Is Your Majesty going to punish him?

Qin Ji rose to his feet amidst Bian Yushu's utter disbelief, walked around to the imperial desk, and lightly dusted off his sleeves.

Fu Lu immediately retreated to Qin Ji's side and presented the contents of the box to His Majesty within easy reach.

"come over."

His Majesty gave the order, and even though she didn't know the reason, Bian Yushu obediently stepped forward and looked at the sandalwood ruler in the box with awe.

It is about one and a half feet long, one inch wide, and about one finger thick. I don’t know if it’s because it’s all black, but it looks quite intimidating.

Bian Yushu quickly looked away, not daring to glance at the box again.

Qin Ji picked up the ruler and tapped it on the imperial desk. "Come over here."

Now that Bian Yushu was finally certain that His Majesty was going to personally punish him, his doe-like eyes widened in surprise.

Your Majesty is the supreme ruler. If you wish to punish him, you can simply issue an order as before. Why do you need to take action yourself?

Bian Yushu's face turned almost completely red, and her voice was barely audible as she said, "What virtue or ability do I possess to deserve Your Majesty's trouble..."

He looked to Fu Lu for help.

Fu Lu glanced at Qin Ji's expression, then put down the wooden box, stepped forward to help Bian Yushu up, and half-persuaded and half-carried him to the imperial desk.

"Young Master Bian, have you lost your mind? What is there for a student to be afraid of when being disciplined by his teacher? For you to talk about the relationship between ruler and subject now is tantamount to disobeying an imperial edict!"

Bian Yushu was so frightened by his words that he went limp and obediently crossed his arms and leaned on the imperial desk, not daring to look back. He stammered and begged for punishment, "Yushu is dull-witted, please, please punish me, teacher."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ruler came flying down, leaving a striking white mark on his clothes.

A painful groan escaped through her teeth, a trembling sound escaping her lips. Bian Yushu's knees bent, her body leaning slightly forward, and tears welled up almost instantly, lightly moistening her eyes.

He gripped his elbow joint so tightly that his knuckles turned white, taking deep breaths to process the lingering pain.

Qin Ji was unsure of the full force of the ruler strike, but judging from Bian Yushu's reaction, it was no small amount.

"Do you know why I rewarded you in Yushan, but punished you upon your return?"

Bian Yushu would never know why.

His knowledge was inferior to that of his peers, and his horsemanship and archery skills were only good enough to hunt a few rabbits. When he was at the Yushan hunting ground, he was so heartbroken that he had to crawl into a tree hole.

Having finally managed to save the emperor with his unwavering loyalty, he hadn't even had a few days to feel triumphant before His Majesty's ruler shattered his confidence.

When Bian Yushu opened her mouth, her voice was already choked with emotion, "I'm sorry, I..."

Not even knowing where to begin with an apology, Bian Yushu grew increasingly frustrated.

The ruler struck Bian Yushu lightly on the back. "Look at me."

Bian Yushu slightly raised her upper body and turned her head. Because her eyes were a little red, she did not dare to meet His Majesty's gaze, and her eyes were somewhat evasive.

The ruler tapped him twice, reminding him to look directly at himself.

Bian Yushu obediently raised her eyes, her clear eyes revealing her disheveled and dejected state.

Qin Ji first affirmed your actions, saying, "At Yushan, you risked your life to save me, showing no fear. You are my good companion and my good minister. Your loyalty deserves praise and you are a role model for all ministers. Therefore, as the ruler of the country, I reward you."

Hearing His Majesty praise his loyalty, Bian Yushu pursed his lips, the bitterness in his heart subsided, and his eyes involuntarily curved into a smile.

He was a child who grew up nurtured by love. Although he developed feelings of inferiority through comparison, he did not become trapped in his emotions.

With just a little encouragement, he can reconcile himself, calm himself down, and radiate vitality.

Seeing that Bian Yushu's dejected expression had vanished and he was now listening attentively, Qin Ji asked again, "In what capacity am I punishing you today?"

Bian Yushu had carefully remembered everything His Majesty had said, so he answered without hesitation, "Teacher."

"As your teacher, you risked your life to protect me, I should be moved, and I have no right to punish you."

Bian Yushu was somewhat confused and looked at His Majesty with a puzzled expression.

"However, seeing you fail to recognize the situation, use yourself as a human shield, and blindly rush headlong into danger, I cannot remain calm."

A ruler struck hard, causing Bian Yushu to shudder in pain and gasp for breath.

Qin Ji's unhurried yet dangerous voice rang out behind Bian Yushu, "Thirty strokes of the cane. Don't do this again. Do you admit it or not?"

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.

Bian Yushu, who always obeyed His Majesty's orders, somehow mustered the courage to speak in a trembling voice.

"I don't acknowledge it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Not to mention Bian Yushu, who mustered up the courage to say "I don't acknowledge it," even Fu Lu didn't dare to breathe loudly, and the flat bean on the roof even picked at its ear, thinking it had misheard.

Having reigned for eleven years and ruled in his own right for over a year, Qin Ji could hardly remember the last time he had been so bluntly contradicted.

Even when Wang Jing was at the height of his power, no matter how much he secretly amassed power or outwardly complied with his promises, he always maintained a very professional facade.

On the contrary, Bian Yushu was as docile as a sheep in front of Qin Ji. When Qin Ji wanted to punish him and set a punishment amount, he dared to say "I don't agree" to his face.

For that audacity alone, Qin Ji would have to give him a second look, even with the ruler in his hand.

Qin Ji sneered, "You don't actually think that whether I admit it or not, I'm negotiating with you, do you?"

After speaking firmly, Bian Yushu was overwhelmed by His Majesty's aura. Her breath caught in her throat, her liver and gallbladder trembled, and her lips turned white.

His instinct was to obey, but the words trembled as they reached his lips and came out as, "No, I don't agree..."

He looked like a warrior ready to sacrifice himself for his cause.

Qin Ji almost laughed out of anger, raised his hand, and unceremoniously gave him ten slaps in a row.

The pain, a burning pain, spread like wildfire throughout my body.

Bian Yushu dared not wail loudly in front of His Majesty in a manner that would be unbecoming, but he could not suppress the painful screams that were prying at his teeth, so he covered his mouth tightly with his hand.

A light drizzle seemed to fall on the deer's eyes, and glistening water droplets clung to his eyelashes, like butterfly wings wet in a downpour, casting a trembling shadow in his eyes.

When Qin Ji stopped, Bian Yushu shakily raised her arm to wipe her eyes, swallowing back her weak sobs and tears.

Tsk, how pathetic.

Qin Ji scoffed lightly and asked calmly, "Thirty strokes, do you admit it or not?"

It's still thirty, which means that what happened just now was just a warning to force him to change his tune, and it doesn't count towards the total number.

If His Majesty intends to punish him until he changes his tune, he could be beaten to death right here.

Bian Yushu swallowed hard in fear, her legs trembling, sniffing, her soft voice trembling.

"T-Teacher, you can punish me, but you can't forbid me from helping you in the future if you're in danger. That's impossible! I...I...I won't accept that..."

Use the softest tone, the most timid attitude, to say the most stubborn words.